Automatic butter-cutting machine



V I. 0. POWER. AUTOMATIC BUTTER CUTTING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED APR-23. 192i.

} Patented July 25, 1922.

'5 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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* 0. POPPER.

AUTOMATIC BUTTER CUTTING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED APR-23'. 1921. 1,424,117. te July 25, 1-

5 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

l. C. POPPER AUTOMATIC-BUTTER CUTTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR-23, 1921.

1 424 117 V Patented July 25, 1922 -'5 SHEETS-SHEET a.

lllllllllll illlllllll l. c. POPPER. I AUTOMATIC BUTTER CUTTING MACHINE.

. APPLICATION FILED APR.23, 1921. v

1,424,117, I Patented July 25,1922".

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

I. c. POPPER.

AUTOMATIC BUTTER CUTTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILE D APR. 23, I921.

Pateritewuly I 5'SHEETS-SHEET 5.

Sldin New ork and State of New York, a citizen N F F ISAAC C. POPPER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

AUTOMATIC lB'll'TTER-CUTTING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented July 25, 1922.

Application filed April 23, 1921. Serial No. 463,851.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Isaac C. POPPER, re-

at New York city, in the county of ofzthe United States, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Butter-Cutting 'Machines, of which the fol- -lowing is a specification.

My'invention relates to an improvement in I While, as the name implies, this invention automatic butter cutting machines.

is designed primarily to shape and cut butter, it obviously might be used for cutting termined size and length, so that each cake various other materials in a plastic state, such'as yeast, chocolate, and the like.

The present machine is arranged to work automatically, and its speed and action are controlled by the feed of the material into the machine.

The primary 0 ject of this invention is to cut butter or 0t er plastic material automatically into cakes of the proper predeis of uniform size and weight.

This cutting machine may be attached to any type of forming machine that isnow in use, and it is'so constructed and adapted that its capacity for fashioning and cutting the material is only limited by the volume and speed with which the material can be fed to the machine. v j

" In the accompanying drawings 2 'Fig. '1 is a view in side elevation of the complete machine in operative position;

Fig. 2 is a side view of the wheel or cutter-head;

Fig. 3 is a front view of the same;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detail of the wheel or cutter-head showing the slot in the rim where the knife-holder fits;

* Fig. 5 is an edge view of the knife-holder;

Fig. 6 is a view of the same;

. 'Fig. 7 is a view of the knife;

Fig. 8 is a view of the knife-holder look in; p Fig. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary view of a portion of the rim of the wheel or cutterhead, showing where the lock-pin enters.

Fig. 10 is a view of one of the knife-holder 'stop-bolts which limits the backward drop of the knife-holder;

Fig. 11 is a detached view of holding the knife-holder;- I

Fig. 12 is a front View of the cam roller and arm; I

Fig. 13 is a side view of the same;

a spring for Fig. 14 is a side view of the cam;

ig. 5 is. a transverse sectional view through the same;

Fig. 16 is a perspective view showing the name-plate;

Fig. 17 is a view in side elevation, partly broken away and in section, of the feed mechanism.

Fig. 18 is a side view of the heater hood;

Fig. 19 is a front view.of the same or taken at right-angles to Fig. 18;

Fig. 20is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view looking into the former and showing a knife in operative position.

. Fig. 21 is a plan view, partly in section, of the former for regulating the transverse dimensions of the butter.

Fig. 22 is a view of the former viewed from the left in Fig. 21.

A, represents the table mounted on suitable legs, and 1 is an A-shaped standard of which there are two securely bolted on the top of the table.

A shaft 2 extends across from standard to cured in blocks 3. These blocks are fitted to,

and vertically adjustable in, slots 4 by means of set-screws 5 and 6 threaded in the standards above and below each block. By means of theseset-screws 5 and 6, it is possible to set the wheel or cutter-head a little higher or lower on thesupporting standards as may be required for the best results.

A wheel or cutter-head 7 is mounted to turn. on shaft 2 on roller-bearings (not shown), and a 'cam 8 is rigidly secured on theshaft in the position indicated in Fig. 1.

A plurality of knives 9 are spaced at redetermined intervals-at the rim of the w eel 7. These are detachably secured to knifeholders 10 by screws or other means, and they are ivotally mounted by means of the knife-ho] er lock-pins 11, which are securely fastened in the slots 12 shown in Fig. 4 in the rim of the wheel. The knifeholders fit in these slots, and the lock-pins hold them in place and permit the holders to turn as required.

The swinging movement of the knives and knife-holders is controlled by cam-rollers 13 at the outer ends of the arms '14, These arms are securely bolted to the knifeholders, as shown in Fig.1 1, and the rollers are inposition to engage and traverse the edge of the cam 8 presented thereto, as the wheel 7 revolves.

'cated at one end ofthe table.

Springs 15 extend from the knife-holdersback to a point on the wheel for holding the knife-holders yieldingly in their normal position to resist the reverse movement impact to the knife-holdersby the action of the rollers 13 against the edge of the cam 8.

A knife-holder stop, in the form of a bolt 16, is secured to each holder for the purpose of limiting the backward movement of the knife-holder.

While there may be any number of these knives or cutters, in the resent construction I have illustrated thirteen, and these with their attachments are all alike, and they operate upon the butter or plastic material being formed or cut in turn successively as the wheel 7 is turned. The wheel 7 is turned by the feed of the material to be fashioned and cut. A former 17 is 10- In this one or more (preferably two) worms 18 continuously revolve. The tter or other material is fed down through a hopper (not shown) from a point above into the former, and is forced outthrough a head 19 upon a series of rollers 20 (of which there may be any number, although in the present machine I have shown nine) on their way to the knives or cutters. The head is so shaped that it gives theproper transverse dimensions to the butter or other material being fed therethrough, whereas the knives cut it into lengths, the wheel 7 is driven by the force of the on-coming material against the knives, and the speed is regulated entirely according to the feed of the material. The motion of the wheel is re sisted only by the contact of the cam rollers 13 upon its periphery, and the periphery of the cam is shapedto give direction and position to'the knives at the proper time and place in the rotation of the wheel, the cutting in this instance being done over the seventh roller of the series of nine, thus.

leaving two more rollers for conveying'the take of material forward onto the conveyorbelt 21 at the outlet of the machine.

To facilitate the cutting of the butter, the knives are heated, and this is done by their passage through a heater-hood 22, which preferably covers about one-fourth of the rim of the wheel. This is secured to the standards and straddles and embraces the rim of the wheel, and it may be' heated by electricity, gas, 3 or other means. In the construction illustrated, it is heated by a resistance coil 23, as shown in Figs. 1

and 19.

Name-platesQtare attached to the rim of the wheel or cutter-head. Each name-plate is preferably attached by means oftwo screws to the rim of the wheel or cutterhead between the knives, in order that each cake. of butter or other material may be marked as it is fashioned and cut in passing through the machine.

This machine will cut the butter or other material in any size or shape. The former head 19 gives the proper height, width and shape to the material, while the knives out it into lengths.

The cakes of butter thus formed in this particular machine are in the neighborhood of one and eleven-sixteenths (P -2;) inches in height, by three and one-eighth (3%) inches in width, and the cakes are out six and three-eighths- (6%) inches long in order to make them in pound sizes, but the knife blades can be adjusted to vary the size of the cake if desired. While there are thirteen knives shown on the wheel or cutter head, thus cutting thirteen cakes of butter with each revolution of the wheel or cutter-head, if it were desired to cut the material in three inch lengths, there could be double the number of knives, thus cutting twice as many lengths per revolution.

The knives, knife-holders, wheel or cutter-head, are all securely fastened, making it easy to clean the machine. The machine can be cleaned thoroughly by turning a hose with hot water over all parts with the exception of the eleotricheater which can be easily removed.

This machine requires no attendants, and it will cut from ten to three hundred cakes of butter per minute. In other words, it will cut approximately five times as many cakes as the machines heretofore in use, which required from two to three persons vper machine to operate; orin other words .headto the cutter-head.

It will be understood that this machine as arranged works automatically. The wheel or cutter-head derives its power from the butter which is forced by the worms through the former and formerhead. As the butter issues from the former 17 and former-head 19, it slides over the rolls 20, and pushes the first knife that is nearest to the butter in its path. As this knife is being pushed by the butter, the wheel or cut-v ter-head is rotated thereby. The faster the butter is fed to the worms 18, the faster it leaves the former, and the, faster it revolves the wheel or cntter-head,- and consequently the wheel cuts the material into lengths or cakes faster.

The size of the cake is reduced to proper weight by a spring plate 19 secured in the outlet of the former-head. Thisissimply and quickly done by turning the setscrew 19.

The butter is forced down from the hopper by two rotary paddles 26 having springpressed blades 27. In order to speed the conveyor belt 21 to conform to the feed, a

inga th fixed knife, whereby the wheel or cutter-- shaft 28 has a worm gear 29 which transmits motion to the worm 30 on the shaft which drives the conveyor, and this shaft is driven through a chain 31 from the main drive-shaft 32, as are the shafts 33 which carry the paddles 26.

I claim: 7

1. An automatic butter-cutting machin including a rotatable wheel or cutter-head, knives pivotally connected therewith which successively come into the path of the butter, means for holding a knife in fixed relation to the wheel or cutterhead during the entire operation of cutting, and means for feedin the butter against the intermittently fixed Enife, wherebythe wheel or cutterhead is revolved, and the butter is cut into lengths.

2. An automatic butter-cutting machine including a rotatable wheel or cutter-head, knives pivotally connected therewith which succes ivelycome into the path of the butter, m ans for llOldiIlg a knife in fixed relation to the wheel or cutter-head during the entire peration of cutting, means for feedbutter against the intermittently head is revolved, and the butter is cut into lengths, and means for heating the knives.

3. An automatic butter-cutting machine including a rotatable wheel or cutterhead, knives pivotally connected therewith which successively come into the path of the butter, means for holding a knife in fixed relation to the wheel or c'utterhead during the entire operation of cutting, means for feeding the butter against the intermittently fixed knife. whereby the wheel or cutterhead is revolved. and the butter is cut into lengths, and nameplates secured to the periphery of the wheel or cutterhead and between the knives for imprinting the butter.

4. An automatic butter cutting machine including an automatic feed .for the mate-. rial to be cut, and a wheel or cutter-head carrying pivotally mounted knives which are intermittently fixed and which come in the path of the butter, whereby the wheel is revolved, and the butter is automatically cut into lengths, and name-plates secured to the periphery of the wheel or cutter-head between the knives for imprinting the butter. 4

5. An automatic butter cutting machine including an automatic feed for the material to be cut, a wheel or cutter-head carrying knives which come in the path of the butter, whereby the wheel is revolved, and the butter is automatically cutinto lengths, name-plates carried by the Wheel or cutter head between the knives for imprinting the butter, and means for heating the knives and name-plates.

6. An automatiobutter cutting machine including an automatic feed for the mate rial to be cut, a wheel or cutter-head carrying knives which come in the path of the butter, whereby the wheel is revolved and the butter is automatically cut into lengths, and means for heating the knives, which includes a hood. which encloses a portion of the rim of the wheel or cutter-head for concentrating the heat at such point.

7. The combination of a table, standards erected thereon, a shaft supported by the standards, a wheel or cutter-head mounted toturn on-the shaft. knife-holders pivotally supported at the rim of the wheel or cutterhead, means for rigidly holding said knives as they pass in the path of the material tov be cut, and means forautom'atieally feeding said material, whereby to drive the wheel or cutter-head and cause the knives to cut it in lengths.

8. The combination with a table having rollers and conveyors thereon, a former, a former-head, and means for feedin the material into, and discharging it rom, the former-head upon the rollers, of a rotatable wheel or cutter-head carrying pivoted cutters, and means connected with each cutter for holding said cutters in fixed relation successively in the path of the fed material whereby'the wheel is turned and the material is cut into lengths.

9. The combination with a table, stand-' ards erected thereon, a shaft extending across from one standard to another, means forholding and adjusting the height of the shaft, a wheel or cutter-head rotatably supported on the shaft, a fixed cam, knife- 'holders pivoted to the rim of the wheel or cutter-head. cam rollers, and arms, and springs connected with the knife-holders,

' said rollers in position to be engaged by the cam when in certain positions to provide means for turning the wheel or cutter-head and for cutting the butter into lengths.

10. The combination with a table, standards erected thereon, a shaft extending across from one standard to another, means for holding and adjusting the height of the shaft, a wheel or cutter-head rotatably supported on the shaft, a fixed cam, knifeholders pivoted to the rim of the wheel or cutter-head, cam rollers, and arms, and springs connected with the knife-holders, said rollers in position to bee-engaged by the cam when in certain positions to provide means for turning the wheel or cutter-head and for cutting the butter into lengths, stops connected with the knife-holders for limiting the movement of the knife-holders in one direction.

11. .The combination with a table, standards erected thereon, a shaft extending across from one standard to another, means for holding and adjusting the height of the shaft, a wheel or cutter-head rotatably supported on the shaft, a fixed cam, knife-holders pivi oted to the rim of the wheel or cutter-head,

cam rollers, and arms, and springs connected with the knife-holders, said rollers in position. to be engaged'by the cam when in certain positions to provide means for turning Wheel or cutter-head and for cutting. the butter into lengths, stops connecting with the knife-holders for limiting the movement of the knife-holders in one direction, and

means for vertically adjusting the shaft which carries the wheel and cam.

12. In an automatic butter cutting machine, a rotatable wheel carrying fixed name-plates on its periphery and knives, the latter pivotally supported, and means for controlling the position of the knife-holders,

during the functioning of the knife.

13. In an automatic butter cutting ma-. chine, a rotatable wheel carrying name-' plates'and knives, the latter pivotally supported, means for controlling the position of the knife-holders, and means for heating the knivesand name-plates.

14. In an automatic butter cutting machine, the combination with a former, a

former-head, and means for adjusting the size of the-outlet of the latter, of mechanism for forcing. the material to be cut through the former-head; means for cutting the material as it issues from the former-head, and

meansfor heating the knives.

15. Means for cutting plastic material,

including cutters, a rotatable wheel, cutters carried thereby and means. for feeding the means successively to sever the material against the cutters, whereby to cause a successive presentation of cutters for severin the material into lengths, and means or heating the cutters.

16. Means for shaping and cutting plastic .material including a rotatable device prerollers,

including a wheel, cutters carried thereby, a table, a roller journaled in the table in position to cooperate with a cutter in cutting the material into divisions and means for forcing-the material under pressure into the space between the table and wheel and against a cutter whereby to turn the wheel and cause the presentation in its turn. of another cutter.

18. An automatic butter cutter including a rotatable wheel, a fixed cam, cutters pivoted to the wheel and carrying rollers which traverse the cam, and springs which hold the rollers against the cams during a portion of the rotation of the wheel whereby to hold them in place and Which swing the cutters on their pivots and out of the way of the material after the cutting has been done.

19. An automatic butter cutter including a rotatable wheel having a: flanged periphery, the flange slotted, pivoted cutter holders extending-through the slots, cutters carried thereby and name plates secured to the peripheral' flange between the slots.

20. An automatic butter cutter including a rotatable wheel having a flanged eriphery, the flange slotted, pivoted cutter ii extending through the slots, cutters carried thereby and name plates secured to the peripheral flange between the slots, arms secured to the cutter holders, and carrying and a. cam and springs for contrololders ling the position and action of the cutter holders and cutters.

v 21. An automatic butter cutter including a rotatable wheel having a flanged periphery, the flange slotted, pivoted cutter holders extending through the slots, cutters carried thereby and name plates secured to the peripheral flange between the slots, arms secured to the cutter holders, and carrying rollers, and a cam and springs for controlling the position and action of the cutter holders and cutters, and a stop secured to each holder to limit the backward movement of the holder.

In testimony whereof 'I hereunto afiix my signature.

ISAAC C. POPPER. 

